As public scrutiny intensifies over anomalous flood control projects in the Philippines, Filipinos have turned to social media spaces such as Reddit to expose the lavish lifestyles of the children of contractors and public officials linked to the ongoing investigations.
In the past week, various social media accounts and online communities have emerged, reuploading videos and posts of certain individuals flaunting their opulent lifestyles, including riding private jets, indulging in shopping sprees abroad and purchasing luxury cars.
Earlier this month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr announced that 545 billion pesos (HK$74 billion) had been spent on flood management since 2022, resulting in a total of 9,855 flood control projects to date.
This revelation followed an investigation after Metro Manila and its neighbouring provinces were submerged in deep floods due to continuous rainfall over just four days.
Of 2,409 registered contractors, only 15 accounted for 20 per cent of the total budget, while the remaining funds were distributed among the other 2,394 contractors.
The investigation also uncovered the existence of “ghost” projects – facilities that were declared complete on paper but had not actually been constructed.
On August 20, Marcos expressed his anger after inspecting a barren site where a 55 million peso (HK$7.5 million) river wall was supposedly built. “They didn’t work for even a single day. Even if you see it for yourself, you won’t see anything,” he said.
On August 27, he ordered a lifestyle audit of all government officials amid the growing scrutiny of flood control projects, particularly those associated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“There are now communities on Reddit doing ‘lifestyle checks’ based on social media accounts of kids of politicians, contractors and DPWH officials that put Crazy Rich Asians to shame,” creative director Gerry Cacanindin wrote in a social media post that now has over 7,000 shares.
One notable example is Claudine Co, known for posting extravagant displays of her lifestyle. Her father owns Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corporation, one of the 15 contractors named in the Marcos-ordered investigation.
Analysts say that the online uproar surrounding these individuals reflects the role of social media as a platform for Filipinos to engage in political issues. Athena Charanne Presto, a sociologist from the University of the Philippines Diliman, noted that the wave of “corrupt shaming” is not a new phenomenon, adding that people had been adopting new media over the years to expose government wrongdoing.
Samuel Cabbuag is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of the Philippines, where he researches social media and digital cultures. “Social media has become a space for conspiracies and exposes, which can be related to celebrity culture where every scandal, no matter how mundane or significant, is easily reported and amplified,” he said.
Cabbuag added that social media had given users access to information about these scandals and a chance to weigh in.
Analysts also pointed out that the anonymity offered by sites like Reddit gives users a sense of security when engaging in these discussions.
